Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just ship it
Warning: AU, strong language, boy x boy pairings, violence (more so bullying in the beginning), and because this was inspired by the manga Iris Zero, there may be some minor spoilers for it.
I gotta say; I'm really surprised by how many of you already knew about Doitsuism. It must be bigger than I thought. Let me know if anyone ever starts a religion/cult for Romano, because I'd love to join that XD
oOo
Autumn continued to grace the neighborhood around World Academy with pleasant walking weather. The leaves had abandoned their original green state, for a patchwork of reds, yellows, and oranges. Many had begun to fall off the trees, leaving piles of crunchy paths in their wake. Despite being cloudy, the sun managed to poke though enough to prevent any gloom from settling in. The breeze was a little chilly, but more invigorating with anything.
"I fucking hate this…" Lovino muttered, further burrowing into his Police Commissioner trench coat. As pretty as things were, he wasn't ready for the cold…especially first thing in the morning. "Can't we just skip the months that suck and go straight to Spring?"
"It must suck being so used to the warmer seasons, huh?" Alfred offered him the cup of coffee in his hand. "Mocha?"
"Ugh…I'm so tired, even that sounds good," Lovino took a sip. "Bleh. Disgusting. This tastes like diabetes in a cup."
"If it's so bad, why are you taking another sip?" Alfred replied with a grin.
"Shut up, I'm in desperate need of caffeine."
The walk to school with his very sleepy Italian was always interesting, to say the least. However, this morning Alfred just couldn't shake the feeling that there was a pair of eyes on them. He glanced around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The other students ahead of them were too engrossed in their own conversation to look back at Alfred and Lovino. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed nobody behind them, either. Alfred's body stiffened and his face became serious. He didn't like this feeling one bit.
"They should just cancel class, so we can all go home and take naps…" Lovino mumbled, not even realizing he was resting his head on the blonde's shoulder.
All traces of Alfred's serious expression melted when he took notice of sleepy Lovi's cute antics. He hugged him and instantly felt better. It also helped that they were getting closer to the school. More and more students appeared around them, getting ready for another day. The hidden eyes faded away. None of that seemed to matter to Alfred. He was still convinced hugging Lovino was the key to erasing that uneasy feeling from before.
"Are you planning on letting me go anytime soon?" the tsundere growled, feeling the President squeeze him tighter in response.
"Wasn't planning on it, no."
"Bastardo."
Across the street, Antonio couldn't help but smile while his friends continued talking about what qualified as 'school-appropriate use' of their Police Force-issued handcuffs. He had been watching Lovino grow closer and closer to Alfred this year. The Spaniard wondered when it was that Lovi stopped depending on his older cousin to protect him…Until just a few months ago, the person Lovino trusted the most was him. From spending the last 16 years together, Antonio knew all of the Italian's fears and insecurities (no matter how much Lovi tried to conceal them nowadays) and despite his association with being a blabbermouth, Antonio never told them to anyone. The Spaniard had always done a decent job of keeping his cousin safe from physical harm with his danger-detecting Iris, but recalled his deepest regret with Lovino was when they were still kids…
oOo
It happened way back when Aunt Carmen let Lovino spend almost every weekend at the Carriedo home. Back when Antonio's mom affectionately called them both 'mijo' and Lovino saw his cousin as more of an older brother. The little Italian relied on him to keep the bullies away at the park and at family gatherings. He tried to copy Toni's personal style of colorful t-shirts and cargo shorts. His level of respect for Antonio was higher than most adults. Lovi even called him 'Boss.' And all because Antonio took time out of his day to acknowledge Lovino's presence and make him feel like an actual human being. Their playdates became a way for the Italian to escape the negative connotations that followed Iris Zeroes wherever they went.
It was then that Antonio saw a Grim sleeping beside Lovino.
It steadily grew bigger and bigger until it began to scare Antonio by its size. It already towered over both boys and showed no sign of shrinking. Antonio tried to be brave for his unknowing little cousin. Lovino remained blind to the terrible things he saw lurking around them. It was all he could do to hold Lovino's hand and avoid eye contact with the Grim, for fear it would awaken.
"Boss, are you okay?" the younger boy asked him.
"Que? O-Of course, Lovinito!" he forced a smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You're holding my hand really tight," the Italian winced.
"Lo siento!" Antonio apologized. He loosened his grip, but still too scared to let go completely. He was afraid of what would happen if he did.
On the day the beastly Grim opened its blood-red eyes near Lovi, fear got the best of Antonio. He made up some excuse and ran home, leaving a confused Lovino behind at the park.
The next day, he heard the news from his mother – there had been a car accident.
"I-Is Lovi alright…?" Antonio cut her off, shaking in terror.
"Lovinito is going to be fine," Isabel told him, trying her best to keep her voice from shaking. "But Aunt Carmen didn't make it."
Antonio had nearly let guilt eat him alive over whether Carmen's death could have been avoided. Why did he have to be such a coward and run away? If only he had told his Mama about it, would his aunt still be alive? Lovi was there when she died and saw the whole thing. Now Lovino, the person who put all his trust in his big brother, was suffering and it was all Antonio's fault. The Spaniard confined himself to his room for a full day, refusing to come out or eat. His chest felt heavy and the only time he stopped crying was when he fell asleep. Antonio hated that feeling and never wanted to feel it again.
His mother allowed him to grieve as he saw fit for the first day, but forced him to come out and eat something on the second. Isabel was able to get him to explain why he was taking Aunt Carmen's death so hard, hearing him out when he told her about the Grim he saw with guilt in his voice and tears in his eyes.
"You're right, Toni, you do need to make amends," she nodded. "But punishing yourself isn't the way to do it."
Antonio wiped his eyes and looked up at his mother in wonder.
"Talk to Lovinito," Isabel spoke gently. "Apologize if you must, but more importantly, you need to be there for him. I'm certain he could use a dependable friend to help get him through this…"
"O-Okay, mama," Antonio nodded. He still wasn't sure Lovino would want to play with him ever again because he failed to tell him about the Grim, but Antonio would do his best to be a good Boss anyway.
It was only at Aunt Carmen's funeral when the normally rebellious and stubborn Lovino gripped him for dear life that he saw how sad and lost his cousin really was. Antonio thought it was odd that no one else was comforting Lovino – not even his own father or brother. They were beside the casket, accepting condolences and hugs from everyone else in the room. It was truly as if the rest of the world turned its back on him.
"I…I'm so sorry, Lovi…" Antonio hugged him back. "You're gonna get through this and I'll protect you from now on…I promise."
From then on, the Spaniard swore to use his power to help others, even if he didn't know them. He didn't want to let down anyone else after watching Lovino lose his mother.
Seeing Alfred interact with his cousin more and more made Antonio sigh. Maybe Lovi was finally outgrowing his need for a Knight in Shining Armor…Or maybe he was losing that role to Alfred? Antonio still wasn't sure how he felt about that (Lovi was practically his little brother), but he did know one thing – he'd never seen Lovino happier than when he was with Alfred.
oOo
In Culinary Arts, Alfred was busy completely botching up his noodle debate. At first, he started off strong, stating comparisons between food and rock songs. He cited Led Zeppelin's Hot Dog, AC/DC's Honey Roll, Van Halen's Poundcake, and Warrant's Cherry Pie. Then, his opponent reminded him (and the rest of the class) that the discussion was about classic meals, not classic rock. Things had gone downhill from there.
"I was getting to that, dude!" the blonde laughed.
"I hope so," the other boy decided to add salt to the wound. "Because none of the songs or dishes you mentioned were even noodles. That's our topic of debate, if you'll recall…"
"I'm just saying that somewhere along the line, somebody might have been influenced to make some kind of famous noodle recipe after rocking out on their guitar," Alfred tried (and failed) to defend his point. "Because noodles and guitar strings kind of look alike."
"So, you're saying that some of the traditional recipes we follow today originated from rock stars?" his opponent asked.
"…Yes?"
"You can't possibly be that stupid…" Lovino muttered.
"Don't underestimate me," Alfred replied, forcing a smile as the class giggled in good fun.
Lovino bit his lip. On one hand, he could tell Alfredo – Alfred – was embarrassed by his lack of skill in their culinary arts class. On the other, he knew it wouldn't be enough to completely crush the blonde's ego. But still…it sucked to watch the poor guy try to laugh it off, now that most of the class had started snickering…
"Actually, in Abruzzo, the people created guitar pasta, chitarra, for pasta all'Amatriciana and other traditional dishes," Lovino replied casually, using his Italian heritage to find an obscure loophole to make Alfred's claim a semi-valid argument. "The pasta was given that name for the way it's cut."
It went against his 'low exposure' motto, but he couldn't just leave Alfred hanging like that.
"That's correct," Bella confirmed with a smile.
"Lovi, you're the best!" Alfred cheered and hugged his partner, who was now thoroughly embarrassed.
oOo
The worst of his Culinary Arts class behind him, Alfred returned to his locker to swap textbooks. Inside, he found another white envelope addressed to him. Raising his eyebrows, he shoved his math book into his bag and opened the letter up.
Dear Alfred,
I'm writing again to tell you how much I love you. I couldn't help but watch you this morning on your way into school. I'm always impressed when I see you on the street or at school. You seem to know when you're being watched. You're so observant, you almost saw me in the bushes today! My heart beat so fast when your beautiful eyes met mine. I wanted to jump out when you looked away just to see them again. I wish you'd only look at me... I love you so much.
I don't understand why you are spending so much time with the Iris Zero. Don't you know they're bad luck? Or did he lie about that to you? You really shouldn't share drinks with him. That's just not healthy. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Is he threatening or blackmailing you somehow? I can protect you from the Iris Zero! I don't know what he did to you, but I can save you! I know I can! I love you Alfred! Until I can say those words in person I'll be watching… I'll always be watching…
Your Secret Admirer
"…Well, that's super-disturbing."
He decided he and his not-so-innocent brother and cousin would be having a nice, long chat at lunchtime.
oOo
In their shared Biology class, Arthur, Francis, and the others had been given time to study for their upcoming exam. Neither Senior was particularly interested in brushing up on the basics of a worm's digestive system, so they found other ways to entertain themselves for 40 minutes at their lab table. Arthur hid a Sherlock Holmes novel behind his textbook. Francis continued rubbing his foot against his boyfriend's leg until he finally got a response.
"Stop interrupting me while I'm ignoring you!" the tsundere hissed.
"Don't tell me you're too busy to keep your loving boyfriend company~"
Arthur suggested he go do something highly inappropriate with a cactus.
Pouting, Francis allowed his moody love interest to go back to reading. He waited a few moments, before clutching his abdomen and doubling over. Francis wailed and moaned, faking a dreadful stomachache. When he was certain he had everyone's eyes on him, he claimed the end was near.
"…Would you like to go to the Nurse's office?" his teacher asked.
Francis tearfully nodded, causing his teacher to dismiss him. The professor arched an eyebrow in confusion when the French boy remained in his seat.
"Something wrong, Mr. Bonnefoy?"
"It's just that…ohhh, I don't think I can make it on my own…" Francis moaned.
"You're his lab partner, Kirkland," their professor looked back down at his paperwork to grade. "You take care of it."
"But sir—" Arthur tried to protest, cut off by Francis practically throwing himself at him.
"Thank you, mon lapin…" he smiled deviously.
Mathias watched the overdramatic duo leave the room and go to the left. He furrowed his brows. The Dane could have sworn the fastest route to the Nurse's Office was to the right… He poked his own lab partner to confirm this.
"…What?" Lukas hissed at him.
"Which way is faster to the Nurse's Office from here – left or right?"
"Right," came his response and Lukas went back to giving him the cold shoulder.
"Did you see any sick monsters growing out of Francis's shoulder?" Mathias asked, referring to Lukas's Iris that allowed him to see different kinds of tiny trolls perched on a person's shoulder.
The kind of troll changed to reflect specific problems the individual was having – anything from sickness, depression, fear, broken heart, hunger, to the one Lukas was sure he was wearing at the moment – desire for violence. He tried to keep his cool (a difficult task around Mathias) and waited for it to pass.
"You know…" Mathias crossed his arms after a moment. "I don't think they're going to the Nurse's Office at all."
"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," the Norwegian boy rolled his eyes. "Now if you'd kindly shut up and go back to studying, I won't have to send you there myself."
oOo
Arthur made his way to the lunch table, pulling up a chair beside his least annoying cousin. Matthew nodded at him politely and they made easy conversation about chess. Kiku joined them, contributing the several attempts he tried to best Arthur to the conversation and Gilbert stared on, completely lost.
"It was very impressive, Matthew," Kiku praised the chessmaster. "Even with an Iris that allows me to read minds, I still could not beat him. Arthur thinks several steps ahead and is most difficult to read."
"Don't feel bad, Kiku," the soft-spoken blonde smiled. "I've been trying to beat him since he taught me how to play ten years ago, and I still lost every game."
"Sorry, gents, you'll just have to try har—"
"—There you are!" the President carried his tray of food over.
"Hey, Alfred," Gilbert waved with a smirk. "Where's your better half?"
"Matthew's sitting right next to me, git," Arthur rolled his eyes, gesturing to Alfred's twin.
Alfred shot the albino a look. He knew exactly who Gilbert meant. It was raining outside, which meant Lovi couldn't eat on the rooftop like usual. Alfred didn't want to admit that when it rained or snowed, nobody knew where Lovino ate, not even the resident Hero. It wasn't fair. One of these days, he'd figure it out…
"I came to see which one of you is my stalker," Alfred wedged himself between his twin and his cousin, despite their protesting. "Talk about a creepy sense of humor…"
"What are you talking about, Al?"
"You barmy sod!" Arthur snapped. "You made me spill tea on my scone!"
"It's an improvement, trust me," the American rolled his eyes. He had to admit he was a little taken aback by their genuine looks of confusion. "So, fess up. Which one of you is it?"
When neither of them had a clue what he was talking about, Alfred explained the original letter talked about the first football game he saw here and how he and Matthew split a hot dog, something only a close family member would know, as he didn't know anyone else at World Academy at that point. He even dug out the most recent letter and let them look it over.
May as well shame them into admitting their crappy sense of humor.
"Al, this wasn't me…" Matthew answered, reading the letter with concern spilling into his voice. The part about 'saving' Alfred from Lovino worried him. He was surprised his twin brother didn't have very much anxious yellow in his wingspan. "This is really unsettling…"
"How un-awesome," Gilbert snorted. "Where does this nut get off telling you what's healthy or not, when they spend all their free time spying on you?"
"It's probably just some crazy fangirl…" Arthur shrugged, taking a sip of tea. He used to get them quite a bit before he started dating Francis. Although the reason people left him love letters was fear of igniting his…explosive personality in person.
"I agree with Matthew," Kiku furrowed his brow. "You should be careful."
"Well, if it's just somebody with a crush, I should be fine," Alfred grinned. He had honestly been more worried he'd somehow pissed off Mattie or Artie and they were retaliating with creepy letters. "Hard to be afraid of a girl who can't even come out and talk to me."
He had bigger matters to attend to – namely his date with Lovino afterschool. Well, maybe 'date' was a bit of a stretch… They were meeting up to distribute World Academy enrollment papers at the subway station on behalf of the Enrollment Office…which was kind of like a date! Except without the fancy restaurant…and the romantic atmosphere…and everything else that mattered on a real date.
At least he still had Lovino to himself, right?
oOo
Alfred had been telling the truth when he told Mei the artwork she showed him for Song of Storms was amazing. After some gentle nudging from both Kiku and Elizabeta, the Taiwanese girl started posting her doujinshi online. At first, it was a small group of dedicated fans who followed every update, but as time went on more and more people fell in love with the gorgeous mermen and the mysterious story Mei wove itself around them in a rich tapestry of romance, battle, and betrayal. By now, her webpage received well over a thousand hits per day. She gained both global and local fans. Why is that important? Because several of her fans recognized the inspiration for Prince Romano at the subway station.
The Italian had been running Student Council errands with Alfred, who had ducked into the bathroom. While he waited on a bench, Lovino fiddled around with the stupid 'Zombie Apocalypse Partners' keychain the big, blonde idiot had given him. He looked up when a pair of pretty girls from a different school approached him shyly.
"Can I help you?" he asked, trying to sound politer than he felt at the moment.
"Hi, um…we were wondering if, um…"
"C-Can we get a picture with you?" the second girl burst out, holding out her phone.
"Uh, sure?" Lovino wasn't sure why they'd ask, but obliged them. The girls seemed harmless enough.
The camera flashed, gaining more fan attention. Before he knew what was happening half a dozen other girls flocked around him. Lovino was getting worried about the way they kept babbling about fish and squealing loudly. It made people look at them and gather into a small crowd to see what the fuss was about. The tsundere glanced around for Alfred, but didn't see him anywhere. When the squees only intensified, he decided it was time to bail, Alfred or no Alfred.
"Well, I have to get going," he tried to smile at the giggling girls, who suddenly froze at his words. All happy expressions fell from their faces. They now looked as though Lovino broke the news to them that Santa wasn't real, Kraft Foods manufactured pain instead of pasta, and Narnia was just a wardrobe with LSD in it.
At first, he thought one of them identified him as an Iris Zero somehow. He honestly couldn't think of any other reason he'd get that reaction. He tried to slowly side-step away from the gaggle of girls, but they refused to leave his side, growing angry that he was leaving. Seeing no other way out of it, Lovino broke into a run trying to escape the horde of fangirls that followed him. He vaguely considered informing them he was a scary Iris Zero to get them to back off, but somehow doubted they'd listen.
"Prince Romano! Come back!"
"Please! You have to come back!"
"Are you cosplaying or the real thing in human form?!"
"You have to tell us!"
They grew increasingly rabid and poor Lovino still didn't have a clue what the hell was going on. Who was Prince Romano supposed to be? The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't think of any royalty he knew by that name. All he could do was keep running, completely confused and freaked out.
I swear to god, I'm never setting foot in another subway station for the rest of my life!
He managed to make it to ground level, but the mob was still behind him. He vaulted over a railing, hoping that would slow the stampede down, cursing when it didn't. One wrong turn and he ended up cornered in a café. Lovino quickly texted Alfred for help, not expecting him to make it in time. The way some of the fangirls were practically foaming at the mouth led him to believe he'd be torn to pieces before his friend arrived. Lovino closed his eyes and silently prayed for a quick death.
Luckily for him, 'Prince Merik' arrived just in the nick of time.
"Are you alright, Lovi?" he asked. "I knew you were secretly a chick-magnet but—"
The crowd grew increasingly enthusiastic with the blonde's arrival. They loomed in closer, pinning the boys to the wall. Lovino blushed when the close proximity caused him to inch closer to Alfred's chest until he was practically glued to it. The Italian couldn't tell if the heartbeat pounding in his ears was his own or Alfred's. He was embarrassed, but decided he would much rather be cozying up to Alfred than the crowd. When he felt the blonde's hands wrap around his shoulders (partially for Lovi's protection, partially out of fear), he figured the American felt the same way. The fangirls eyes glistened with hunger and they licked their lips ravenously. Several noses started oozing blood, coating their crazed claws and handkerchiefs with the sticky, red substance. What little had remained of their sanity quickly evaporated into a greater need of some serious guy on guy action.
Then they started demanding…things.
"Uh, what's an uke?" the confused Hero asked his friend.
"Nevermind that!" the tsundere snapped. "Just help me think of a way out of this!"
"Got it!" Alfred wasted no time in scooping Lovino into his arms and jumping on the nearest tabletop.
Customers and fangirls alike gasped. From there, he actually jumped over several fans and landed on another table. Without dropping Lovino or falling flat on his face, Alfred proceeded to leap table to table until they were at the entrance. There, a very embarrassed Italian shoved away from his hero. The minute his feet hit the pavement, they took off like a flash. Little did they know there was no need – the crowd was too busy swooning at the scene.
oOo
"…And that's why we didn't finish posting all the enrollment fliers at the subway station," Alfred concluded at the Student Council meeting the following day.
Ludwig was staring at him incredulously. He could feel his left eye twitching. It was one of those times he had trouble believing his own Iris. Kiku was doubled over, trying (and failing) not to laugh. The two tsundere officers could only shudder. Lovino, because he was reliving it and Arthur, because he knew those stations were deathtraps.
After the meeting, Alfred made his usual stop at his locker. Another creepy letter had been shoved through the locker vent, making the blonde frown. These seemed to be growing in frequency…
Dear Alfred,
I want to let you know I saw what happened in the café. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. The Iris Zero bastard keeps putting you in danger! He should stay away from you! The Iris Zero should stay away from the school too or better yet – drop dead. You would be better off without him. The WORLD would be better off without him –
Alfred didn't even finish reading it before balling it up and tossing it in the trash. He had to put garbage like that where it belonged. Nobody had the right to say those things about Lovino. Nobody. Lovino had spent his whole life listening to that sort of crap and worse from people who had no right to judge him. It was people like that who were the root of all Lovino's problems. They were the reason he couldn't see how handsome, smart, and amazing he was!
Alfred decided it was time to tell Lovino how he really felt about him. It had been put off long enough. At this point, he wasn't even nervous. He didn't care if Lovino turned him down as long as the brunette knew someone out there loved him. Alfred took out his phone (extra glad Mattie found it now) and called him.
"Hey, hamburger bastard," the smooth Mediterranean voice greeted him on the other line.
"Heya, Lovino," he grinned back, not caring that Lovi couldn't see him smile. "Do you have anything planned for tomorrow morning?"
"Before school?" the Italian asked. "Coffee and lots of it. Why?"
"Awesome!" the Hero cheered. "If I promise to bring you some, could you do me a favor and meet me behind the fieldhouse?"
"…I guess so. Why?" Lovino was curious now. What was the crazy blonde up to?
"I'll tell you tomorrow~!"
oOo
A/N – Hey, guys…guys…Guess what's finally going to happen in the next chapter? ;)
Also, I don't like that stalker. You can tell, because I didn't give the stalker the proper amount of commas I'm so fond of giving others. Haha! Take that, stalker!
-Rajikka
Translations
Fratello – Brother (It.)
Bastardo – Bastard (It.)
Tsundere – A type of character seen in anime or manga known for appearing cold or hostile, but having a hidden sweet side. "Tsun Tsun" is the aloof or irritable side, while "Dere Dere" is the lovey dovey side. (Jp.)
Mijo – short for "Mi hijo" which means "My son" (Sp.)
Lo siento – I'm sorry (Sp.)
Mon lapin – My rabbit (Fr.)